That Kiss
by melia
Summary: Rory and Jess think about the kiss that they shared at Sookie and Jackson's wedding. *Chapter 5 added! The conclusion.*
1. That Kiss

Jess looked at his watch. 6:30. The wedding should be done by now. The question was, would Lorelai and Rory come in for a coffee before they went home? Jess hoped so. He wanted to talk to Rory about what had happened. That kiss. God, it was great. Unexpected, but great. Jess had kissed girls before, but somehow all the girls and all the kisses paled in comparison to this one. Probably because of the kisser.

Rory.

Would Jess ever get tired of that name? He didn't think so. Rory. Rory. Rory. Nope. Still not tired of it. A smile softened Jess's normally sullen features.

"What's that for?" The smile disappeared.

"What's what for, Luke?"

"You were smiling. You never smile. I want to know why you were smiling, except if it has anything to do with trouble or mischief of any kind."

"Nothing to tell."

"Jess-"

"Look, I was smiling. It happens occasionally. Maybe I was thinking of bunnies hopping through fields of wildflowers. Maybe I was thinking of smashing the plates that I'm holding. Maybe I'm thinking of holding hands and skipping. Whatever. I'm leaving." Jess brought the dirty dishes he was holding to the kitchen, threw his cleaning rag on the counter, and exited the diner. 

* * * * *

Rory looked at her watch. 6:30. The wedding was over, and the dinner was wrapping up. There was going to be a dance afterwards, but Rory didn't feel like staying. She didn't want to have to dance with Dean after…. After that kiss. It had been great. Completely unexpected, but great. Jess's lips were perfect. Soft and warm and slightly salty. It made all Dean's kisses sortof taste like cardboard. Not that she didn't love Dean. She loved Dean. Although, after a while, his name started to get on her nerves. It began to sound like a really annoying bell. Dean. Dean. Dean. Whereas, Jess…

The sound of a spoon tapping against a wine glass snapped her out of her reverie. Lorelai stood up to toast the newlyweds.

"Hey Sookie and Jackson. Um, I had a really good toast all planned out, but I can't remember it. So, I'll wing it. I hope that you always have exactly what you want, and that you always find it in each other. And I hope that this marriage turns out as perfectly as one of Jackson's beef tomatoes." As the guests laughed, Lorelai sat down and Sookie and Jackson kissed. Beside Rory, Lane sighed.

"They are so cute!" Rory nodded in agreement, then checked her watch again. 6:32. It was her turn to sigh. Dean noticed.

"Ror, are you alright? That's the 18th time you've checked your watch in the past half hour!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… I'm tired. And my feet hurt."

Dean looked concerned. "Do you want me to take you home?"

Rory shook her head in dissent. "No, I'll be fine." She smiled at her boyfriend, then looked away. Every time she looked at Dean, she remembered the kiss. Not that she'd actually forgotten it, but she realized how big and important it was when she looked at Dean. She wished that the kiss had never happened.

No, that wasn't true. If she had the chance, she'd kiss Jess again. She just wished that she didn't have to deal with the ramifications. She looked at her watch again. 6:35. 

* * * * * 

Jess sat on the bridge, reading "Pride and Prejudice" with the help of his penlight. He'd always identified with Mr. Darcy, the man who everyone loved to hate. He was the same as the character in a lot of ways. He was basically anti-social, but he cared deeply about his friends. In the book, Mr. Darcy got the girl. Jess wasn't sure how his story was going to turn out. The sound of approaching footsteps made him look up. A lithe figure in a dress sat down beside him. Jess returned to his book. He knew Rory would speak when she was ready. Minutes passed in silence. To Rory, these minutes passed much more quickly and pleasantly than they had at the wedding. She didn't even bother to look at her watch. She didn't care what time it was. Finally, she took a deep breath and began talking.

"Jess." He noted his page number, then shut his book and turned off his light. Turning slightly, he faced Rory. Even her profile was gorgeous. Jess had the sudden urge to kiss her temple, the soft haven between the brow and cheekbone. He resisted, knowing that it would ruin her concentration and possibly, their friendship.

"Jess, I love Dean."

"So you say, every time we talk."

"And I'd never do anything to hurt him."

"And…"

"And, I should never have kissed you. It was so dumb of me, because now I'm comparing your kiss to Dean's, and he doesn't deserve that, and…" Rory looked at the boy-man sitting a foot away from her. "And I wouldn't take it back. Not for anything." She reached out towards Jess, to trace his lips with her finger, but pulled back. She could not risk kissing Jess again, and even looking at him was wearing down her resolve. She looked back out at the river. "I just… I can't let it happen again."

"Ok."

"Ok? That's it?"

"Yeah." Jess shrugged. "You can't let it happen again. It won't." Even though his face betrayed no emotion, Rory heard the undercurrent of bitterness in his voice.

"Jess-"

"No, I understand. You love Dean. You can't hurt him, and you can't kiss me. End of story."

"Jess, it's more than that!" Rory looked over at him again. It hurt so much to see him and know that she could never have him, but he had to understand how much he meant to her. "Jess, I love you too." He looked up, naked hope on his face. Rory had so much more to say, but none of it came out. She just looked at Jess, the lines of his face, the stubble that darkened his chin, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. Words failed her. For once in her life, she couldn't even remember her name. Jess reminded her.

"Rory." And suddenly he was beside her, a question in his eyes. Rory answered without words. She gave in and traced his lips with her finger. Jess reached up and took her hand in his, kissing the centre of her palm before releasing it. Looking into her eyes, Jess gave Rory one last chance to turn back. She responded by moving closer to him. Her gaze flicked to his lips, and it was all the sign he needed. Jess captured her chin with his slightly rough fingertips, and gently kissed Rory for the second time that night. Rory shivered with emotion in spite of the warmth of the night. Jess pulled away slowly and removed his jacket. He put it around Rory's shoulders and wrapped his arm around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder. All her arguments about loving Dean suddenly seemed pointless. Jess was the one she really loved. She sighed happily and wriggled closer to Jess.

"So, what book are you reading?"

"Pride and Prejudice."

"Oh, that's a great book. I love Mr. Darcy."

Jess smiled against Rory's hair. "Yeah. He's a good guy."

THE END


	2. Monday Morning After

Disclaimer: First name = Amy. Last name = not Sherman-Palladino. Therefore, I own none of these lovelies. *grumpy face.*

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for reviewing, and to "Luke Rules", who gave me the idea to continue this story. I was actually going to leave it at one chapter, but what the heck. I had some ideas that didn't make it into the first chapter, so I put them in this one. Enjoy!

* * * * *

The next morning, Rory woke up smiling. This was unusual, because it was Monday. Maybe it was because it was the first day of summer holidays. Or maybe it was because she had spent two hours on the bridge with Jess, not speaking, but just floating in the pleasure of being with him. As she inhaled, Rory could almost smell him.

Reaching up, she touched her lips. The lips that yesterday (was it only yesterday?) had kissed Jess twice. Rory's smile grew as she stretched. The entire summer unwound before her; blank days to be filled with books and lazing around and more importantly, Jess. Blinking twice, Rory realised that it was pointless to try to go back to sleep. Thoughts of Jess had driven all the tiredness from her body. Getting out of bed, she went to the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. As the coffee percolated, Rory went out to the front porch. Outside, everything seemed new. The birds were singing for her, the sun was rising on her, and Dean was coming up the path.

Suddenly, Rory's world of happiness collapsed. Dean. Bag boy at Doose's. Her boyfriend. 

"Rory? What are you doing up?" The surprise was evident in Dean's voice. He quickly put his left arm behind his back, trying to conceal the boquet of flowers that he had picked for her before she saw it. He wasn't quick enough.

"Dean. Um, I forgot that this was the first day of holidays. What with the wedding and all… anyway, I set my alarm, and I woke up and – I assume you're here to give me those flowers?"

Dean's eyebrows kinked together. "Well, I was going to leave them on your doorstep for you to find later, but since you're awake, I can give them right to you." He walked up the steps and bent down to kiss her, but she pulled away. He pulled back quickly, a question written on his face. Rory scrambled for another lie. "Um, I haven't had my coffee yet. I can't kiss until I've had at least one coffee. Usually two." An awkward silence followed.

"Well, I'd invite you in, but Mom's still asleep." Dean nodded in agreement and handed the flowers to Rory. With a nod and a wave, he turned and left. Rory escaped back into the house. She'd completely forgotten about Dean. Which didn't make sense, because she still loved him. Rory sighed in consternation. After she put the flowers in a vase, she grabbed her mug and poured herself a coffee. The summer was going to be long.

* * * * * 

"So, daughter of mine," Lorelai said as they approached Luke's Diner, "I have some news for you which will likely require three coffees and a full-frontal lobotomy to get over." Rory looked over at her mom, who's face didn't give away any details about her apparently awful news. Rory had a feeling that the news was about her now-you-see-him-now-you-don't father. Before they entered the Diner, Rory stopped her mom.

"I have some news, too, and you should know it before we go in. Jess is back."

Lorelai stopped walking. "Jess, Luke's nephew? Juvenile delinquent of Star's Hollow?" Rory nodded. The look on Lorelai's face was now easily readable: she was less than happy about the news. In fact, she was downright angry. "How do you know this?"

"Um, he came to Sookie's wedding. Just for a little while, to tell me that he was back for good."

"Oh, he's back for good. Hooray." Rory couldn't have missed the sarcasm if she was deaf and blind. "How do you feel about going to Al's Pancakes for breakfast?"

"Mom. You said I would need three coffees to handle this news. I'd need 10 of Al's coffees, and my bladder just can't take that. Besides, it's Monday. Luke puts cheese in his scrambled eggs on Monday." Rory didn't really care about the cheesy eggs; she just needed to see Jess again. "Also, what would we eat at Al's? He hasn't served pancakes in years. We could have steak for breakfast, but we'd have to wait till 11:00." 

"Ok, fine, we'll go to Luke's."

"Is this still about the fight you had after the accident?"

"No! Well…no. It's about a whole bunch of things. But that doesn't matter. It's probably better that you hear this in a comfortable environment, anyways."

"Ok, Mom, now you're starting to scare me. How bad is this? Like, scale of one to ten, one being Elvis in a bathing suit and 10 being The Strokes breaking up."

"What's nine?"

"Nine is… Richard Simmons."

"You'd call a Strokes breakup worse than Richard Simmons?"

"Mom!"

"Well, it's definitely a nine."

"Oh." Since the conversation seemed to be over, Lorelai opened the diner door, and she and Rory walked in. Sitting at their usual table, Lorelai waved four fingers in the air. Without needing to ask what she meant, Luke brought mugs and a fresh pot of coffee to their table.

"Instead of coming back and forth to give you the four coffees that you want, I'm just going to put this pot on your table, and let you serve yourselves. That way, I can care for the customers who are actually paying for their food."

"Thanks, Luke. But what happens if it gets cold?"

"You know the way to the counter. Bring me the pot, and I'll give you a new one."

"You are a smart man."

"Yeah, well, don't tell that to my nephew. He'd probably die laughing, and he's actually pretty useful around here, when he bothers to show up for work. Oh, Jess is back in town."

"I know; Rory told me." Luke only looked slightly surprised at this news. "So, he found you then, Rory?" Rory nodded, blushing faintly. Both Luke and Lorelai noticed this, but after looking at each other quickly, decided not to question her. Luke moved back behind the counter, grabbed another pot of coffee, and went around the diner refilling cups. Lorelai looked around the diner furtively, and then leaned closer to Rory. Unconsciously, Rory copied her mother's gestures. Lorelai took a deep breath, and laid all her news right out.

"Sherry's pregnant. Christopher is moving back in with her. He's finally decided to be a father." This last statement was delivered through a very brittle, unreal smile. Rory didn't know how to react. Should she yell? Start crying? Begin damaging property, like she'd told her father would happen if he broke their hearts? 

Instead of doing any of these, she grabbed the coffee pot, poured herself a mug full, and began drinking.

* * * * *

A/N 2: Ok, Erin wanted to read another chapter tonight, so I ended here. There will be another chapter, possibly tomorrow. 


	3. Lane's Advice

Once Rory got over the main shock of her mother's news, she went to Lane's house to get some advice. After being interrogated by Mrs. Kim, she was grudgingly allowed to see Lane for half an hour. She ran up the stairs to Lane's bedroom, entered quickly, and shut the door firmly behind her. Whirling around, she discovered Lane lying on her bed, headphones over her ears, blissfully unaware of the world around her. Rory knew that the quickest way to get Lane's attention was to cut off her drug at its source, so she stopped the CD. As expected, Lane's eyes opened, and she re-entered the world of Stars Hollow.

"Rory! How did you get in here?"

"Lane, I could have brought the entire South Korean soccer team in here, and you wouldn't have noticed. What are you listening to? Cuz if your mom ever catches you…"

"Hey, whoa. One question at a time. I'm listening to White Stripes, but in case Mom ever wants to know, I piggyback one CD on top of the other. It's always a Korean Bible song CD on top of the one I'm listening to. She never actually listens, she just wants to see. It always works."

"If she ever asks to listen, you know you're in the deep stuff."

"Nope. I have backup plans, one involving my CD player mysteriously breaking down."

"Well, that's good. Um, could we talk?"

"Sure." Lane reached up to turn her CD player off, but Rory stopped her. 

"Actually, Lane, could you put on one of your Korean Bible CDs, and play it kindof loudly? I don't want your mom to overhear any of this." Lane looked confused, and then concerned, but she did what Rory asked. She also put a pillow over her register so that her mom couldn't listen via the ductwork in the lower level of the house. Once all these precautions had been taken, Rory and Lane sat down on the bed, and Rory launched into her story.

"Ok, Lane, you have to promise me that you'll listen to the end, no interruptions. Swear on Binky the Blanket."

"Rory, you haven't made me swear on Binky since we were eight."

"I know. But it's that important that you listen right to the end."

"Ok. I do solemnly swear on Binky the Blanket, that I will not say a word until you say that you're finished your story."

"Thank you." Rory took a deep breath and started talking. "Last night, before the wedding, Jess found me. He's moved back to Stars Hollow forever. And I kissed him." Lane's eyes opened wide and she made an 'eep' noise, but apart from that, didn't do anything. "That's why I was so anxious during the reception. I needed to talk to Jess, to try and figure out why I'd done that. When I did eventually find him, we talked, and I kissed him again." Subconsciously, Rory wondered if Lane's eyes could get any bigger. "Then, this morning, Dean came over to surprise me by leaving flowers on my doorstep, but I was awake, so I sortof surprised him, and he went to kiss me, but I stepped away. I just couldn't kiss him Lane! Not after I kissed Jess! And then, to top it all off, this morning Mom told me that Dad's almost ex-girlfriend is pregnant, and he's moving in with her again instead of moving here." Lane's eyes couldn't possibly get any wider without doing serious damage to her vision. "The end." Rory added. Lane let out a huge breath.

"Wow."

"Yep. Oh, and Paris and I won the class election, so I leave for Washington on Saturday."

"Wow." Lane was obviously floored. She collected herself quickly, though, and responded with a plan.

"How long are we allowed to talk?"

"Your mom gave me half an hour. We still have 20 minutes."

"Great! It's Monday, right?"

"Yes…"

"And Dean works afternoons on Mondays, right?"

"Yes…"

"Ok." Lane turned off her CD, grabbed Rory by the wrist, and tromped down the stairs. She found her mother sanding a small wooden jewelry box. After a quick conversation in Korean, Rory and Lane were headed towards Doose's Market.

"I told mom that I need tampons. Here's the plan: We're going to buy enough breakfast foods and microwave dinners to get you through this week. You can tell everyone that you're busy planning and packing for Washington. You'll never have to come into town, so you won't have to see Jess or Dean, and while you're away, you can evealuate your priorities. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that. Whoever you're fonder of at the end of your time, and please let it be Dean, you come back and everything is fine. You don't tell Dean what happened, and he won't be any wiser. Maybe the guilty knowledge of what you've done will keep it from happening again."

Rory was more shocked by Lane's diatribe than she had been when her mom announced Sherry's pregnancy. She stopped walking, right in the middle of the street. Lane jerked to a stop as well. It was a full minute before Rory could speak.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?"

"What? Rory, in spite of everything that you've been through, I refuse to believe that your brain has stopped working. I'm Lane Kim, your best friend. We're in Stars-"

"No. That whole speech I just heard was not Lane Kim. It was like Paris Gellar in Lane Kim's body."

"Well, kissing Jess was not something that Rory Gilmore would do, so we're even."

"Lane! Kissing Jess was not a premeditated action on my part!"

"What?" At the sound of a highly shocked male voice behind them, Lane and Rory spun around. The looks on their faces were identical. Rory spoke first.

"Oh my God. Dean…" 

------

Author's note: Bwahahaha. I am so evil. I may just stop writing this story now, so that you will never know what happens. The blatant suspense will kill you all.

But wait. Then I would never get another review. Never mind. I guess I'll keep going. :) Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. I'm writing all of your names down, and when I receive my first award for excellence in journalism, I'll thank you all publicly. 


	4. Ramifications

Author's Note. Ok, I wouldn't seriously make you wait a long time for this. I'm not that sadistic. So here it is. It's short, but I'm almost finished chapter five, so that will be up soon, too. 

Disclaimer: Someday, I'm going to take over Amy S-P's job, and then all of this will be mine. But until that day, everything and everyone still belongs to her.

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"Dean – I…" Rory's voice trailed off. Dean looked like someone had just ripped his heart out and given it a love tap with a sledgehammer. The look of shock, disbelief, hurt, and anger on his face was her fault, Rory realized. Except, the anger was directed at the wrong person.

"I am going to kill that asshole with my bare hands." Dean wheeled around and started off in the direction of Luke's. Quickly, Rory grabbed his elbow and planted herself firmly on the sidewalk. This had little affect on the enraged teen, but when Lane did the same on his other side, he was forced to stop.

"Dean, listen to me. God, I didn't want you to find out-"

"Oh, you were going to keep this your little secret, were you? Who else knows? I mean, obviously Lane does. Who else? Have you told Miss Patty yet? The news probably would have reached me more quickly if you'd used the Stars Hollow grapevine."

Rory cut Dean off. "Dean! I was going to say, I didn't want you to find out this way. I should have told you this morning, but I just couldn't. Dean, look at me." He obviously didn't want to, but forced himself to comply. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a little muscle in his cheek was twitching. "Dean, I kissed Jess at Sookie's wedding. He just showed up, and I was surprised and happy to see him, and I kissed him…" Once again, Rory's words trickled off. This was evidently not what her boyfriend wanted to hear. He was looking more murderous by the minute. "Dean, if you want to kill anyone with your bare hands, it should be me. Everything is my fault."

"Oh, sticking up for Jess. How cute. Did you ask him to move back here?" The non-sequitur confused Rory, but she shook her head, indicating that she hadn't. An odd look crossed Dean's face. "Good. Then I can kill him for that."

"What?! Dean, don't do this!"

"Don't do what? Get angry because my girlfriend is making out with another guy? Why should I get mad about something as trivial as that?" Sudden realization crossed Dean's face. "That's why you kept checking the time at the reception! Just couldn't wait to be with him again. Well, fine. Go; run along to your new boyfriend. We're finished, Rory. Forever," he spat out. "I hope he breaks your heart." With that, he shook off the two girls and left them standing there. One girl looked shocked and uncomfortable, and the other had tears running down her face.

* * * * *

The rest of the day was just as fun and emotional. Once Rory had calmed down enough to have a conversation, she went to Luke's. Jess was wiping the counter when she entered, but when he looked up and saw her expression, he put down his rag. Rory walked up to the counter.

"May I have a cup of coffee, please? And, could we talk? Somewhere quiet?" Jess nodded.

"Caeser, take over for me, k? I have to go upstairs for a minute." At the affirmative grunt from the kitchen, Jess led Rory up the stairs to the apartment he lived in with Luke. Once there, he shut the door and crossed his arms over his chest. "What's wrong?"

Rory copied Jess's stance without realizing it. "I was talking with Lane about… kissing you… and she panicked and started dragging me through town trying to convince me to stay away from everyone until I leave for Washington. Anyway, it came up, and Dean was behind us, and he flipped out and dumped me and," she added, her eyes filling with tears, "soon everyone in town will know, and that means that I have to tell my Mom before she finds out from Miss Patty or Babette or, God forbid, Kirk; and Luke will have to find out from one of us, because I don't want mom to spring it on him – I want him to have some time to prepare a counter attack-" Jess stopped her verbal diarrhea by putting his finger over her lips.

"Rory. Don't worry about it. I'll talk to Luke, you talk to your mom, and everything will work out."

"No, Jess! My mom will crucify you and lock me in a box until I'm fifty! She'll probably be madder than Dean was! And once word gets out in town, well, we might just as well pack our bags and move, because no one will let this go. Ever!" Seeing how close Rory was to a complete breakdown, Jess moved forward and hugged her awkwardly. Closing her eyes, Rory sighed and hugged him back. "Jess."

"Rory."

"This is going to be so hard. Everyone here expects me to be perfect, but I'm not. And even though I love you, most of these people," she waved her hand in a circular motion, indicating the dwellers of Stars Hollow, "don't understand. Or love you."

"Hey, no big deal. I've been dealing with their lack of love the entire time I've lived here, so it won't bother me. You, on the other hand. If they do anything to hurt you…" His arms tightened protectively around her, and he dropped a kiss on her hair. She smiled into his shoulder. The next few days would be tough, but they'd make it.


	5. New York, New York

Disclaimer: Hey! I actually own something! Adrienne is my idea. Ok, fine, I lifted the name from the song by The Calling, but the character is my own. As for the rest of the characters and places, they all belong to A.S.-P.

A/N: Ok, my computer doesn't like it when I write a dash, followed by quotation marks, so it turns out like this: -" . It bugs me, and it's confusing, but I can't do anything about it. Sorry!

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As predicted, the following days were hard. To say that Lorelai was mad would be a vast understatement. In spite of the hot summer weather, the Gilmore house was positively frigid. Rory escaped into the world of books. Life wasn't as easy for her partner in crime. Luke had Jess working in the kitchen every day from opening till closing. That way, none of the townspeople had the chance to see him, but Luke could monitor his actions. He collapsed into bed each night, too tired to do anything except dream about Rory. 

On Thursday morning, however, things changed. Rory was awakened at 6:30 by the sound of her window sliding open. As Jess crawled into her room, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make it presentable.

"Doesn't anyone in this town lock their windows?"

"Jess, this is Stars Hollow, not New York. Things don't happen here." Now Jess was closing the window behind him. "Um, Jess, can I ask why you're here?"

"Well, I got sick of listening to Caesar tell me that my hamburgers were inferior, so I left the zoo. I have an idea. I guess that things still aren't good between you and your mom?"

"No. She doesn't even say goodbye before she leaves for work. The only good thing about this whole thing is that now she and Luke aren't mad at each other any more."

"Well, they're both too busy being angry at us to care much about whatever it was they were mad about. Nothing brings people together like a little common anger." Rory smiled in agreement. "So, since this whole town is united against us, how 'bout we leave?"

"Leave? And go where?"

"New York. I didn't get to show you all my old hangouts when you came to visit me. I figure we could catch the 7 AM bus, spend the day there, and be back by ten tonight. Since your mom doesn't check up on you, it shouldn't be a problem. I left a note for Luke saying that I'd see him later tonight. He'll probably guess where I'm going, and with who, but he can't leave the diner for too long, what with the breakfast crowd coming in soon… So, how bout it?"

Rory thought for a minute, then nodded. "Let me just get dressed and stuff. Wait here. I'll be back in fifteen minutes." She grabbed some clean clothes and went to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dressed and combed her hair. Going back to her room, she saw Jess sitting on her floor, reading her copy of "Walden" and making notes in the margins. She smiled at the scene. Moving quietly, she wrote a note to Lorelai and put it on her pillow. If her mom did come to check on her, it wouldn't be until supper time, which was what Rory had planned on. The note said that she'd gone out to see a movie and wouldn't be back until later that night. Surprisingly, Lorelai hadn't grounded her daughter. She figured that letting Rory stew in her own juices was punishment enough. 

Once the note was placed, Jess opened the window, and the two escaped.

* * * * *

Later that afternoon, walking hand in hand down a busy New York street, Rory spotted a small store with a t-shirt hanging in the window. Giggling, she pointed it out to Jess. He immediately went inside and bought it. It was dark blue with deep yellow stenciled lettering on the front. It said 'Juvenile Delinquent', and the irony was not lost on its new owner. He figured he'd wear it the first time he took Rory on an official date. It would probably impress Lorelai to no end. He and Rory were still chuckling over their find when a high, nasal voice called his name.

"Jess Mariano? Is that you?" He turned to see a short, curvaceous blonde with obvious brown roots waving at him.

"Oh, God. Rory, hide me." But it was too late. The girl was hustling towards them as fast as her legs could carry her. Reaching the couple, she flung her arms around Jess and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. Rory looked on in shock as Jess tried to disengage himself from the grasping hands of the girl. Once he had managed to get some distance between them, he not-so-subtly wiped his mouth. "Adrienne." The statement held no warmth, only a vague sense of amusement. "It's been a while."

"Omigod, it's really you! Where have you been? You, like, disappeared, and no one knew where you were." She turned to Rory. "Who are you?" 

Jess stepped in. "Adrienne, this is Rory Gilmore. Rory, this is Adrienne St.Claire."

The blonde lowered her sunglasses and stared over them at Rory. "I'm his girlfriend."

Jess sighed, and Rory hid a smile. "That's funny. Jess," Rory said, turning to him, "how come you never mentioned your girlfriend?"

"Because she never was my girlfriend. Only in her dreams."

Adrienne giggled annoyingly and lay a hand on Jess's forearm. Her fingernails (which, Rory noticed, were as fake as her hair colour) were painted a bright, shocking pink, which clashed horribly with the tiny green dress she was wearing. Her toenails, peeking out of the front of her two-inch tall platform sandals, were the same colour. Rory returned her gaze to the face of the tiny teen. The look she received could have turned the hottest cup of Luke's coffee into convenient popsicle format. Obviously Adrienne had noticed Jess and Rory's hands entwined as they walked, and she didn't like it. Whirling around, she turned her back on Rory, grabbed Jess's hand, and tried to drag him down the street with her. Unfortunately for Adrienne, Jess didn't particularly want to go anywhere with her. Reaching down, he pried her hand from his and reached out for Rory. With one hand safely entwined with Rory's, and the other one effectively out of reach in his back pocket, Jess smiled.

"Well, it's been fun, Adrienne. But Rory and I really have to leave now. Have a nice day." And, neatly sidestepping to avoid the false blond, he and Rory walked away. Rory couldn't help looking back. Adrienne was standing still in the middle of the street, her jaw hanging slightly open, and a look of confusion on her face. When she noticed Rory staring at her, she shut her mouth, gave Rory the finger, tossed her hair, and flounced off. Well, she would have flounced off, but she hadn't quite mastered her tall sandals, and she tripped, pitching forward into the arms of a pudgy businessman. Rory turned around quickly, trying to contain her laughter. She couldn't suppress it, though, and she snorted. Then she began giggling, and soon it escalated into full laughter. Jess looked over and thought that Rory looked even more beautiful than usual when she was laughing. Her laughter was contagious, and soon Jess was laughing with her. Passersby smiled, and some of them began laughing, not knowing why. Every time Rory or Jess calmed down, a look at each other would start them off again. The continued laughing for quite a while.

* * * * *

After Jess had shown Rory around all of his old haunts, they went back to Stars Hollow. On the bus, Rory and Jess sat in silence. After a short period, Rory lay her head on Jess's shoulder and sighed. Shifting so that he was closer to her, he wrapped his arm around her waist in the exact same way that he had on Sunday night. So much had happened in the past five days. Things had changed, and yet-

"Jess, you know that nothing will have changed. My mom will still be livid, and Luke will still make you work all day, and we'll still be shunned. Plus, I leave for Washington DC on Saturday for 6 weeks." Rory turned her face to see Jess's profile outlined in white-gold moonlight. Suddenly, none of those things seemed to matter. "I love you, Jess."

A smile crossed his face as he turned his head to look at her. Verbal communication wasn't his favourite, so he let his actions do the talking. Reaching up, he stroked her cheekbone with his thumb. He bent over slightly and kissed her forehead, then her nose, followed by her eyelids and her chin before he finally, tantalizingly slowly, kissed her lips. The kiss was sweet; full of promises and things unsaid. Rory smiled as she returned the kiss.

Only a deep need for oxygen made them stop, and even then they drew away reluctantly. Each was smiling, and together they made a picture of pure contentedness. Snuggling close and wrapping her arms around Jess, Rory fell asleep. Jess kissed the top of Rory's head and rested his cheek on the spot. In a few minutes, he too was sleeping peacefully.

* * * * *

Rory and Jess woke up an hour later, 10 minutes before the bus reached Stars Hollow. Taking a deep breath, Rory grasped Jess's hand tightly in her own, preparing for what was to come. When the bus came to a stop, Luke and Lorelai were waiting for them. Immediately the adults began peppering them with questions and comments. Their phrases overlapped and mixed together in a jumble of words.

"I just knew it would come to this-" "Rory, where were you?" "-sneaking around-" "I was so worried!" "-not telling me anything-" "Don't ever do that to me again…"

Rory and Jess tuned out the older couple's rantings. Sharing a smile, they stepped forward, hand in hand, into a future that was only beginning.

THE END

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A Word from the Author: I mean it now. This is really the end. I really enjoyed writing this story, but it is finished. Don't worry, I'll write more stories for ff.net (because, quite frankly, I'm addicted.) Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love you all. *muah*. :)

Long live Jess and Rory.


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